In our continuing series of interviews with unsigned and independent musicians, we decided to go stateside! One man band Draft Evader hails from Chicago, and was kind enough to answer our questions!
- Obviously, Draft Evader isn’t your real name, where did it come from?
Draft Evader means (to me at least) not to confirm, and to always stand up for what you think is right and what you believe in, even if it may be an unpopular opinion. Basically, in a nutshell, it means “you can’t tell me what to do.” - How would you describe your music?
I would describe Draft Evader as high-energy rock n roll mixed with some old-school punk. My two biggest influences are classic rock and punk rock so I really try to mesh the sounds together, hoping to create something a bit different from what you’d normally hear. - You have already released a couple of singles via Bandcamp, is an album in the works?
I have two singles up on Bandcamp at the moment, and I actually have an EP titled ‘Heel Turn’ coming out this Friday on April 13th that will be released on all major streaming services (Spotify, iTunes, etc.) My single ‘The Devil’s Disguise’ was released on October 13th, 2017 along with a b-side titled “Handed Down” (this song is only available on Bandcamp at the moment). After the release of The Devil’s Disguise, I took a few month off to work on some fresh material. The Heel Turn EP would come out of this and I would release the single to the EP on March 26th of this year titled “Complaints”. - Do you write your own material, where does the inspiration come from?
Draft Evader is basically a one-man band until I go into the studio. Once there, my friend Joe Scaletta and I break down the songs and maybe make a few minor changes or add a guitar lead where we think one should be. So basically I write all the songs by myself and my engineer will help me make a few adjustments once in the studio. Very simple stuff, but I like it that way. As far as influence goes I try to stick to my roots. I grew up listening to classic rock and punk rock, so bands like KISS, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The Doors, The Ramones, Motörhead, Nirvana, Alkaline Trio, etc. Most recently Kurt Vile has been a big influence of mine, I really enjoy his work. I also really love pop music and and heavily influenced by bands like The Beatles, Tears For Fears, Fleetwood Mac, etc. - Do you play any gigs, would you consider the UK?
At the moment I am not playing any shows/gigs. I started this project last May and have been more focused on progressing as a musician rather than playing shows. I’ve been in two previous bands and have played about 100 live shows since I was 14, but for right now nothing means more to me than the music. With that being said though, I am dying to play live gigs and I would love to play in the UK, it’s been a dream of mine ever since I can remember.
We would like to thank Draft Evader for answering our questions, and wish him all the best with his music. If you’d like to find out more about Draft Evader, please see the links below.
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